


Spilled Milk

by splendid_splendont



Series: Three of Hearts [2]
Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Bill is a softie, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Kitten, M/M, Multi, OT3, Richie and Eddie are good boyfriends, Stray Animals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-10
Updated: 2017-10-10
Packaged: 2019-01-15 13:25:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12321948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/splendid_splendont/pseuds/splendid_splendont
Summary: Bill has a habit of finding strays. He tries not to get too attached.





	Spilled Milk

Bill wakes up on Saturday morning with a feeling that something is wrong. He drifts down stairs with the familiar growl of his dad snoring behind him. Both his parents must be sleeping in because the kitchen is empty and he pours himself a bowl of cereal. It’s not until he is sitting down shoving spoonfuls of Cheerios into his mouth that he hears it.  
  
Bill stops eating and listens for a minute and the sound comes again. A faint, high pitched cry. He ditches his remaining breakfast in favor of hurrying over to the backdoor. When he opens it there is nothing there, only the same steps that have always been there. He looks around for the noise and just as he is about to give up he hears it again.

 

The bushes underneath the kitchen window make another pitiful cry and Bill crouches down to investigate. Huddled again the side of the house is a bedraggled looking kitten. It shrinks back when Bill reaches for it but he manages to pull it into the open with careful hands.

 

It’s shivering and wet, with the biggest eyes Bill has even seen. He brings it up to his bedroom without another thought. The kitten is uncooperative when Bill tries to dry it off, struggling out of his grasp every few seconds. Somehow, he gets it fluffy and dry and the tiny creature curls up in a ball on his pillow.

 

Voices from downstairs remind Bill he isn’t exactly home alone. The last time he tried to bring home a stray dog his parents were not in agreement. Bill makes up his mind quickly and dresses before slipping on a jacket. He deposits the kitten in the pocket, telling it to keep quiet as he tries to slip out unnoticed.

 

Bill makes it to the front door before his mother calls out to him. “I’m j-just going t-t- see Ed-Eddie.” He shouts back and agrees to be home for supper. He rushes out of the yard, forgoing his bike. The kitten mewls at him, wiggling in his pocket and Bill takes it out. He cradles the grey and white kitten to his chest all the way to Richie’s and knocks on the boy’s window to get his attention.

 

There is a loud THUMP from inside the room and Richie stumbles over to the window, pushing back the curtains to stare confusedly outside. His unfocused eyes find Bill and Richie grins. He pushes up the window and moves out of the way for Bill to clamber inside. The Tozier boy drops back onto his bed with a yawn.

 

“What brings you here this fine, early morning?” Richie finally reaches to the side table, pushing his glasses on his face as he looks at Bill. He looks at the awkward way his boyfriend is holding himself then squints. “Bill. What the hell is that?”

 

“It’s a-a kitt-kitten.” Bill mumbles, running a finger over the top of the kitten’s head. It’s purring softly again his jacket and Bill is already gone on it. Richie groans. He stands up from the bed and takes the kitten from Bill despite the taller boy’s protest. Richie holds it up, looking the runt of a cat over. It nuzzles against Richie’s fingers and he sighs.

 

“Where did it come from?” Richie sits down cross-legged on the bed and Bill joins him. The kitten takes the chance to squirm away from Richie’s hold and explore the boy’s messy bed.

 

“I-It was outside my house.” To be fair, most of the strays Bill happens upon are outside of his house. Outside in the street or digging under the fence and once in the tree across the street. Bill wiggles his fingers to distract the kitten. It bats at them playfully, rolling around in the nest of blankets Richie claims as a bed.

 

“Did you ask your folks?” Richie watches Bill smile as he teases the fluffy creature. Bill shake his head and Richie huffs. “You know I can’t keep it. I don’t even know where the fuck our dog went.”

 

“Do you th-think Eddie m-might?” Richie opens his mouth to sass the older boy when the kitten attacks. He yelps in surprise as the kitten scales the back of his t-shirt. It purrs loudly beside his ear and Richie can feel himself getting attached to it. They don’t have to sneak out of Richie’s house.

 

* * *

 

With the kitten tucked safely in one pocket and Richie’s fingers laced with his in the other the boys make the trek across town to Eddie’s house. Eddie isn’t even out the door before he shakes his head at the pair. “No. There is no way my mom will let that thing inside our house.”

 

The boys shuffle along the street before deciding to sit down at a diner. It’s mostly empty and the owner knows them, giving a friendly wave before turning back to deal with his paying customers. Before Eddie can say another word of complaint Richie transfers the purring ball of fluff directly into his lap.

 

“What!? Richie do you know how many germs and diseases animals can carry?” Eddie hisses. He holds the kitten away from himself and frowns at his boyfriends.

 

“Lighten up, Eddie spaghetti.” Richie smiles, reaching over to tussle the other boy’s hair.

 

“I c-cleaned hi-him up.” Bill adds, looking at Eddie with such genuine hopefulness that he gives in. Eddie glances down at the big dark eyes and runs as careful hand along the kitten’s back.

 

“It’s kind of cute.” Eddie admits, giving Bill a soft smile that his boyfriend returns with a beam of his own.

 

“Just like you, Eds.” Richie quips. He pinches one of Eddie’s cheeks and laughs when the smaller boy snaps his teeth like he would try to bite him. When the lunch crowd files in the boys gather themselves up and bustle out to avoid them.

 

“You should just ask them.” Eddie speaks up once they are back on the street. He’s got both hands shoved into his pockets and pretends not to notice Richie’s hand in his back pocket.

 

“The worst they’ll do is say no. Your parents are pretty chill, unlike Eddie’s mom last night.” Richie cracks. He narrowly avoids the elbow Eddie jabs at him.

 

“If they say no, we could ask Mike. Don’t people have farm cats or something?”

“M-maybe.” Bill cuddles the kitten and doesn’t add much to the conversation. He looks up a bit startled when they wind up on his porch. Richie raps on the door before Bill can finish telling him no and Eddie takes the kitten from him.

 

* * *

 

When the Mrs. Denbrough comes to the door Richie wheedles out a charming hello. He pulls Eddie next to him and start talking up a storm.

                                                                                                   

“Mrs. Denbrough, I hate to bother you, but this kitten showed up on Eddie’s porch.” Eddie holds up the little kitten so she can see its tiny paws and adorable button nose. “And his mom wouldn’t even let him bring it inside for a little milk.”

 

Bill watches his boyfriends create a story that his mother seems to eat up. She frowns at the idea of the kitten being left out in the cold and Bill can almost see her resolve crumble.

 

“We didn’t know who else to go to.” Eddie looks down at his shoes. Bill watches in shock as his mother gently takes the kitten from his boyfriend and opens the door behind her.

 

“Why don’t you boys come inside?” They tumble through the front door and Bill can hardly believe his eyes as his mother sets a saucer of milk on the kitchen floor. Richie grabs Eddie as soon as the door is closed, dragging him up the stairs to Bill’s room and Bill moves to follow them.

 

“Just a minute, sweetheart.” The excitement sinks in Bill. He turns to his mother, ready to hear that its only temporary, just like the others. “You’d better come up with a name for him.” She smiles at him instead, placing the kitten his Bill’s arms.

 

Bill practically trips up the stairs. In his bedroom, the other boys are whispering back and forth furiously. Eddie spots him first and his face lights up at the sight of Bill grinning ear-to-ear. Richie barks out a laugh, standing up on his toes to sling his arm around Bill’s shoulders. “So then, what’s his name gonna be?”

 

“ _Moo_.” Richie groans and Eddie muffles a giggling into his hand.  
  



End file.
